This application relates to a piezoelectric control for the clearance between a radially outer seal, and radially inner rotating blades in a gas turbine engine.
Gas turbine engines are known, and typically include a compressor section compressing air with a plurality of rotors each carrying blades. Vanes are positioned between stages of the blades. The air is compressed by the compressor and delivered into a combustion section in which it is mixed with fuel and ignited. Products of this combustion pass downstream over turbine rotors, driving them to rotate. The turbine rotors also carry blades, and have intermediate vanes.
It is known to provide a seal radially outwardly of the blades in both the compressor and turbine sections. These seals function to cause the great bulk of the gas to flow across the blades, thus increasing the efficiency of the system.
However, the clearance between the outer periphery of the blades and the inner periphery of the seals can vary for any number of reasons.
It is known to provide sensors for measuring an amount of clearance, however, to date there has been no practical manner for adjusting the location of the seal should the clearance be undesirably high.